7 Best Towns in New England to Visit
Up in Vermont, one town liked marble so much it paved the sidewalks with it, which gives you a pretty good sense of how much character New England packs in. Over on Cape Ann, the sand actually sings under your feet on a dry day. Down in Rhode Island, a stone arch has spanned Ocean Road since way back in 1900. These are some of the best towns the region has.
Manchester, Vermont
Manchester spreads along the foot of Mt. Equinox. The Green Mountains close in on three sides. Fall foliage fills the inns through late September and October. The American Museum of Fly Fishing draws anglers to the Battenkill in the warm months.
Winter sends skiers to Stratton Mountain Resort and Bromley Mountain, a short drive from the village. Robert Todd Lincoln built Hildene above the Battenkill valley in 1905. Its grounds and gardens open for tours. The trail to Lye Brook Falls climbs to one of the tallest waterfalls in the state. North Meadow Farm opens its barnyard and sells fresh eggs and dairy.
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Singing Beach draws the town's summer crowds by train since the beach lots are residents-only. Masconomo Park overlooks the harbor a few minutes away with a bandstand busy through the concert season. Powder House Hill gives a wide view over the rooftops and the water.
The Coolidge Reservation spreads across Coolidge Point on the eastern edge of town with coastal trails and an open meadow above the water. Back in the center Cala's pours cold beer and New England pub fare to a bar of regulars.
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Nantucket spreads three lighthouses across the island. Brant Point stands by the harbor, Sankaty Head on the eastern bluff, and Great Point at the northern tip. Galleries and whaling-era brick fill the downtown. Madaket catches the sunset off the west end, Steps Beach holds calm water near town, and Nobadeer draws surfers to the south shore.
The Dreamland screens films and offers art workshops by day. Cisco Brewers pours free outdoor tastings of beer and wine. The Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum displays the island's handwoven baskets. The 'Sconset Bluff Walk in Siasconset follows a footpath behind old summer cottages above the open ocean. A sand track leads to Great Point for anyone with four-wheel drive and a permit.
Narragansett, Rhode Island
McKim, Mead and White designed the Narragansett Pier Casino between 1883 and 1886. The 1900 fire that took it started next door at the Rockingham Hotel. A replacement opened in 1905 and later burned too. The arch outlasted both.
Town Beach stretches along Narragansett Pier just past the arch and fills through the summer. The Black Point Trail follows the shoreline south for a couple of miles of bluff climbs and open water. The Bike Stop Cafe handles breakfast on the main side. Meldgie's Diner does the same over in Point Judith.
Newburyport and Plum Island, Massachusetts
Newburyport restored its brick downtown and waterfront boardwalk during the urban-renewal years. The town stands at the mouth of the Merrimack River. It opens onto Plum Island and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
Plum Island lies a short drive or bike ride from downtown. Its beaches feel more workaday than resort. Plum Island Beach and Newbury Beach take most of the daytime crowds. The Parker River refuge threads boardwalk trails through the dunes for birdwatching along the Atlantic flyway. The Compass Rose Inn books up downtown. Salisbury Beach adds more sand a few minutes north.
Ogunquit, Maine
The Marginal Way traces over a mile of paved path along the cliffs between the main beach and Perkins Cove. Ogunquit Beach stretches about three miles of sand along the Atlantic. Footbridge Beach lies about a mile up for a quieter spot. The name comes from the Abenaki for "beautiful place by the sea."
Perkins Cove gathers galleries and a working lobster harbor at the south end of the Marginal Way. Angelina's is the standby for Italian and books out through the summer. The Anchorage By The Sea handles waterfront stays. The smaller Terrace By The Sea is the quieter option. Wonder Mountain Fun Park brings mini-golf and arcade games to Route 1 north of downtown.
Wells, Maine
Wells lines up about seven miles of sand along the southern Maine coast. Wells Beach is the main draw with parking and an arcade behind the dunes. Moody and Drakes Island beaches are the quieter alternatives. Wells Harbor Park edges the waterfront with gazebos and a free summer concert series.
Past the beaches the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and the Wells Reserve at Laudholm open miles of trails through salt marsh and pine woods. Downtown fills with so many antique shops that Wells calls itself the Antiques Capital of Maine. The Atlantic Oceanfront Hotel takes the waterfront end. Budget motels like Misty Harbor Resort fill in the rest.
Hills And Harbors
Only Manchester stands inland. The other six hold the New England coast. Cisco Brewers pours outdoor tastings on Nantucket. The Wells Reserve at Laudholm opens marsh trails up the Maine shore. Narragansett fills through August and empties by October, when the inland village turns cold and the lifts open at Stratton and Bromley. Ogunquit works its lobster boats out of Perkins Cove. Newburyport sends birders across to Plum Island. Six of them turn on the tide and one on the ski season.
